Street Trees. 



339 



power at their command. Companies are permitted to slaughter 

 beautiful avenues of trees; and owing to lack of information regarding 

 the laws of the state, the adjacent property owners remonstrate with 

 the offenders and finally accept a paltry remuneration for the damage 

 done, or reluctantly accept their lot as one of the necessary misfortunes. 

 It is safe to say that the greater proportion of the citizens are ignorant of 

 the nature of these ordinances, all of which have been framed for their 

 good. We here mention a few salient features from some of the ordi- 

 nances of different states in order to indicate what has been done in 

 the interests of the people. 



New York. 



Penalties are prescribed for anyone who shall injure a tree, or 

 who shall hitch a horse or any other animal to a tree, or leave the same 

 standing near enough to injure a tree used for shade or ornament, 

 at "any school-house, church, or public building, or along any public 

 highway." 



Massachusetts. 



The state supreme court has rendered a decision that wire companies 

 have no right to trim trees without proper permission, and the park 

 authorities impose a fine of $20 for each offense. 



Penalties provide that: Whoever injures, defaces, or destroys any 

 designated tree shall forfeit not less than five nor more than one hundred 

 dollars. 



Whoever affixes to any tree in a public way or place, a play bill, 

 picture, announcement, notice, advertisement, or other thing, whether 

 written or otherwise, or cuts, paints, or marks such trees, except for the 

 purpose of protecting them, and then under a written permit from the 

 tree warden, shall be punished by a fine not exceeding $50 for each 

 offense. 



Whoever wantonly injures, defaces, breaks, or destroys an ornamental 

 or shade tree within the limits of any public way or place, shall forfeit 

 not less than five nor more than one hundred dollars, to be recovered by 

 complaint, one-half to the complainant and the other half to the use of 

 the town. 



New Hampshire. 



Towns and cities shall control all of the shade and ornamental trees 

 within the public highways, which the warden deems reasonably neces- 

 sarv. Such trees shall be marked bv the warden. 



